Remembering my friend, Mark

My friend, Mark and me. Journalism class, Olathe High School, 1968.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The service for Mark Haskin has been scheduled for 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1, at Grace Methodist Church in Olathe. Friends may begin arriving at 3 p.m. prior to the beginning of the memorial service.)

I had to do a double-take at the short, to-the-point message on Facebook.

Mark Haskin, a good friend and classmate had died.

I stared at the message in disbelief for what seemed like an eternity as an endless stream of emotions flowed through my body touching my every nerve.

I was stunned. Shocked. Saddened. I was angry and frustrated.

Mark became my friend as we stumbled our way through seventh-grade at Olathe Junior High School. Through junior high and into high school, our friendship strengthened via sports and our work on the school’s newspaper and yearbook staffs. We were always taking English teacher J.T. Craig’s car getting donuts when we were supposed to be picking up advertising for the newspaper or yearbook.